All right, I got no real beef with line, so don’t take this like I’m out to bash leventhal or any of the line team.
Couple of days ago, some new news on the homepage listed that line has some women specific skis that are due out in the market this upcoming season. Now, in my eyes, this is another business breaking decision. I mean, how many women are jibbing it up right now, that feel that they need a women specific board? Not to many. Seems to me that every chick that I know wants either a Troublemaker or a Public Enemy. They like the graphics, they like the flex, and they like how they ride. So why is line coming out with a chick board? It’s limiting who they can sell to, (because no male in the right mind is going to buy a women ski) and on top of that, most women are content with the skis that they have now.
Another thing is how do they plan on selling it? Smaller retail shops that carry line will realize that there is no real market there, and not order the ski in the first place. So sell it over the web right? Getboards.com will be all over it, but that just pisses off the common retailer. I have seen shop owners that hate sites like getboards, selling at what kids think is discount, because web sales are 'always' cheaper, when there really not. Fact of the matter is that most shops are willing to match online pricing, then not charge you shipping and mounting, which can add up to 70 bucks onto an online sale.
So how does line think that they can break even on a project like this? I don’t know figures, but I bet it takes quite a few sales just to get into the positive numbers for the project. I can tell you that I my local resort there are only a handful of sales to women jibbers, most of who are more concerned on sidecuts and what there male counter-parts are riding.
Now, assuming that these women specific boards are consistent with other manufactures across the board, with softer flexes and forward mounting points (women’s hip location is slightly different then men’s, so a common thing to do is mount the binding slightly farther ahead on the ski, to help ease into and out of the turn) line should be of calling these skis 'lighter rider specific' instead of 'women specific' which would open up this ski to many riders out there. Make some unisex graphics (which we know most chicks are into anyway) and boom, you got yourself a ski that’s going to sell.
I am not here to change Line's sales tactics, but seriously, lets think things out before we have another pivogy on our hands.
Sorry if I offended anyone, I just had to rant, and I know that in all seriousness Line should take this as good feedback and not as a threat.
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DYNASTAR.LANGE.LOOK.SMITH
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